<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Run Away With Me by perrysghost</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28373604">Run Away With Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/perrysghost/pseuds/perrysghost'>perrysghost</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dead Poets Society (1989)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>I honestly have no idea where this is going, M/M, and he was finally doing something about it, anderperry is canon as well because they’re my comfort ship, neil has had enough of living a life controlled by his father, only this time he doesn’t die because i like to pretend it never happened, so i’m just going to write what i want when i want</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:54:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,275</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28373604</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/perrysghost/pseuds/perrysghost</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Neil is tired of living a life that isn’t even his, so he makes the decision that any rational person would make and decides to run away. </p><p>It’s time for him to take control and live his life how he knows it was meant to be lived.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Todd Anderson/Neil Perry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>okay hi so i have a vague idea of where this is going to go, but honestly i’m just leaving it up to my brain to decide what happens when i’m writing.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Useless. Worthless. Failure. These were all words that Neil’s father had screamed at him in the last five minutes. As much as he didn’t want to believe it, deep down he knew those words held some weight. As much as it hurt him to admit it, they were true. </p><p>By the age of seventeen, Neil Perry had learned to tune out his father’s yelling; put on a brave face and agree with what was being said. ‘Yes, sir’, ‘sorry sir’, ‘it won’t happen again, sir.’ He knew exactly what he had to do to make each telling off as painless as possible. If he didn’t react to his father’s words, the shouting would stop. For the first few times he was told off, Neil cried, but this only made things worse; his father would move from insults to berating the young boy, shakes turned into slaps and it only got worse from there. </p><p>Usually, Neil would be able to deal with being told off, but this time it was different. Instead of being told he had to go to bed without dinner as punishment for failing an exam, Neil’s father was taking away the one thing that Neil loved more than anything. He was taking away Todd. </p><p>In one night, Neil had gone from acting on stage and feeling unstoppable to being sat in his father’s office feeling more powerless than he had ever felt before. Not being able to act ever again hurt him, but being told he wouldn’t even be able to say goodbye to the person he could only call his soulmate was unbearable. For the first time, Neil had felt that the last seventeen years of putting up with his father’s constant controlling behaviour had been worth it as he was finally able to do the things he loved and now all that hard work was being ripped away from him. It was like a pain he had never felt before. </p><p>By taking away the two things he cared about most in the world, Neil’s father had also taken away the last shred of hope that his son had left. Instead of feeling angry or upset, Neil felt empty. He really had nothing else to live for. There was no point in trying anymore. </p><p>He might as well give up. </p><p>Up in his room, Neil sat on his bed holding the crown he had worn only a few hours ago. How had the day that was supposed to be the day he broke free from his father become the day that his father stripped him of anything that made him who he was. The Neil Perry that everyone knew and loved was gone and he wasn’t coming back.</p><p>It had finally dawned on him. He had two choices; run away or kill himself. It was the harsh reality of his life now. No one should feel the need to end their life at seventeen, he didn’t want to end his life. Despite his father now taking full control of what he did, Neil knew that there was so much he wanted to achieve before he died. He wanted to make it big; acting in movies and plays, living a comfortable life in New York with Todd (who would hopefully become his husband at some point). So, having eliminated the option of killing himself, Neil only had one choice. </p><p>He had had enough of his father telling him what to do with his life, forcing him to live the life he was never able to live. Neil was living a life that would never be his for as long as he stayed where he was. </p><p>So it was decided. </p><p>He was going to run away.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Neil goes to the only person he knows will help him run away. </p><p>He goes to Todd.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>okay so i know in the movie they’re boarding at welton but it works better for me to have them living at home </p><p>just thought i'd let you know :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As usual, Neil had a plan. He was going to go to the place where he knew he’d be able to achieve anything he wanted; he was going to New York. He wasn’t too sure of how he would get there, but Neil knew that Todd would help him. He wouldn’t be happy that Neil was leaving, but he assured himself that Todd would understand why he was doing this. </p><p>Neil packed his bag with only the essentials; he was going to start over when he made it to New York. He was going to become the Neil Perry that he knew he could be. He still couldn’t believe that he was finally running away. Neil was finally taking charge and leaving his father behind. But, by leaving his father behind he was also leaving his mother. Deep down, Neil knew that she loved him, but she just didn’t love him enough to put a stop to his father’s cruel ways. Naturally, he would miss her, but eventually, he would forget about her and she would forget about him; they would become distant memories and nothing more. </p><p>The crown he had worn only a few hours earlier sat on his desk, a painful reminder of everything he would be leaving behind. As much as it hurt him to leave without saying goodbye, Neil knew that he had no other chance. This was his only option. </p><p>He put everything he had in his hands down and wore the crown once more, moving over to the window and staring out. Neil was saying a final goodbye to the life that he had only just started to enjoy. He took the crown off and started at it resting in his hands, a sad smile crossing his lips. This was it. He was finally escaping. </p><p>The young boy took one final look around his room before he opened the window and climbed out, making sure that he didn’t make too much noise that would wake his parents. The snow on the ground had formed a crisp blanket that crunched under his feet as he made his way over to a small gate in the wall that was his ticket to freedom. As soon as Neil opened that gate he would be a free man. </p><p>His hand hovered over the gate for a brief moment before he gently opened it and took a step out, letting out a breath that he didn’t even know he had been holding in. Neil looked up at the sky and laughed to himself as he opened his mouth and caught snowflakes on his tongue. For that brief moment, Neil wasn’t a seventeen year old with responsibilities; he was a child again, playing in the snow without a care in the world. </p><p>The only thing left for Neil to do was to go to Todd’s house. Despite the fact that he had never mentioned running away to Todd once, Neil knew that he would help him the best he could. Todd was like that; when he truly loved someone he would do anything to help them and make sure they were okay. Neil could trust him to help him get away from the life he didn’t want to live. </p><p>So, twenty minutes of walking in silence and taking in his surroundings, Neil arrived at Todd’s house. He already knew which window belonged to his friend and the light was still on, so he climbed up the tree just like he always did and softly knocked. Neil heard some shuffling from inside and after a few seconds Todd’s blinds were up, the window was open and he was practically dragging his friend inside. </p><p>“Neil what are you doing out there? It’s snowing! You could have frozen to death. What would I do if you-“</p><p>“Todd,” Neil began, reaching out to calm him down, “I need your help.”</p><p>“With what?” </p><p>“I’m running away.” He pointed to the bag hanging from his shoulder and it all suddenly clicked into place in Todd’s head. </p><p>“Neil are you crazy? How are you going to do that? Where are you going? How will I-“ Todd didn’t even realise that he wasn’t breathing anymore, the questions during out at a hundred miles an hour. </p><p>“Todd! Calm down. Please.”</p><p>“Okay okay I’m calm. Breathe, Todd. Breathe.”</p><p>“I’m going to New York.” Todd opened his mouth to interrupt, but Neil stopped him before he had the chance. “And I need you to drive me there.”</p><p>“I- Neil,” he was still in shock, “New York is hours away. Are you sure you want to do this?”</p><p>Neil’s eyes met Todd’s, filled with a look of determination that he had never seen before. He paused. The room was filled with silence and Neil could practically hear Todd thinking. </p><p>“I’m coming with you.” </p><p>“What? Todd I can't ask you to leave with me; what about your parents? What about school?”</p><p>“Without you here I have nothing worth staying for. I’m coming with you whether you like it or not.”</p><p>This side of Todd was rarely seen by anybody. When he got like this there was no point in arguing. No amount of persuasion could change his mind. </p><p>Todd was going to New York with Neil. They were running away. Together.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Neil and Todd have left their old lives behind. Now it's them against the world.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>it's 4am right now so just ignore any spelling mistakes i’ll fix them later :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Todd had hastily thrown together a bag of everything he would need in his new life; notebooks and notebooks full of plays he had written, a few spare changes of clothes and right at the bottom of his bag was a small bear he had been given by his grandparents. Despite the fact that he was almost eighteen, Todd couldn’t bear to part with the teddy. It was all he had left of his grandparents; the only people who had ever truly cared about him. He had tried to hide it, embarrassed about having a teddy bear at his age, however Neil saw and although he was curious, he knew not to ask. </p><p>“You ready?” There was a pause before Todd let out a gentle sigh. </p><p>“I’m ready.”</p><p>Neither of the pair could believe that they were actually running away; actually escaping from a world where no one cared for them. Todd was tired of being outshone by his brother and pushed away from his family. Neil was tired of living a life that wasn’t his, a lonely life that he had never wanted.</p><p>They had planned their journey briefly, Todd noting down the bus times so they wouldn’t miss anything, and climbed down the tree away from everything that was making their lives miserable. Although it was a small thing, Neil picked up on the fact that Todd hadn’t hesitated or looked back at his house once. This was the first time that he had been a hundred percent certain that he was doing the right thing. </p><p>The walk to the bus station was filled with a comfortable silence and the occasional exchange of a few words. They didn’t have anything to say to each other. They were finally at peace. The pair walked close to each other; Neil had suggested it to ‘conserve heat’, but they both knew that he had just wanted to be closer to Todd. </p><p>After a further fifteen minutes of walking through the chilly night, they arrived at the bus station with only a few minutes to spare before their bus arrived. Todd stayed outside to look after their bags while Neil disappeared off to buy their tickets, returning a minute or so later with a grin on his face. </p><p>“Toddy, we’re going to New York!”</p><p>Before Todd had the chance to reply, their bus pulled up. They smiled at each other and picked up their bags, climbing onto the bus and showing the driver their tickets. It wasn’t busy, but then again there aren’t many buses that reach full capacity at one o’clock in the morning. Neil grabbed Todd’s hand and made his way to the back of the bus, deciding on two seats in the left corner. </p><p>It was no more than thirty seconds after they had sat down in their seats before Todd’s eyelids began to feel heavy and before Neil could ask him any more questions, the boy had fallen asleep. Neil knew that he hadn’t been sleeping well for the past few weeks. The stormy weather paired with his anxiety had kept him up all through the night, only giving him small periods of time when he was able to sleep. He looked down at his friend, whose body was pressing against his and smiled. A small feeling of pride warmed his heart as he realised that Todd felt completely comfortable around him; he felt safe enough with Neil that he felt able to fall asleep. Despite this being the smallest thing, it meant a lot to Neil. He had never been around anyone who made him feel like this before. </p><p>For the next hour Neil drifted in and out of a light sleep as he smiled fondly down at Todd, who was now resting his head on Neil’s shoulder. He noticed how Todd’s lips were slightly parted when he slept and how he looked so calm, so free from the worries that plagued him when he was awake. That was the thing that Neil and Todd both loved about sleep. Nothing in the real world could hurt you or bother you. There were no responsibilities, no unrealistic expectations to have to live up to. </p><p>Although Neil had had the occasional nap here and there, he was in need of a good rest. He checked the clock once more, making note of the fact that they had five hours left of their journey, before resting his head on top of Todd’s and letting sleep take over, transporting him to a world free of worry. </p><p>Five hours were all that was left of Neil’s miserable life. </p><p>It was five hours until it was Neil and Todd against the world.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>HIHI THANKS FOR READING :)) FEEL FREE TO FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER IM PRETTY COOL @idlyella :))</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>